ism he rose, and
added: "Yes, Anna, I am Tsar, though Nicholas bears the title!"

Only on the previous night the Tsar, accompanied by Soukhomlinoff and
Rasputin, had dined at the mess of the officers of the Guard, and all
three, His Majesty included, had become highly hilarious, and later on
hopelessly drunk.

"True!" exclaimed the Minister of War, who had so misled Russia and the
Tsar into a belief that all was prepared for hostilities against Germany.
"You are the most powerful person in the land to-day, Gregory. That is
why you must not only suppress Vorontsof Dachkof, but also Yakowleff--who
is his friend, remember."

"Ah, Yakowleff! I had quite forgotten, General! How foolish of me!" cried
the monk. "The concession for the gambling casino at Otchakov has been
granted to him, but we must have it. It will be a second Monte Carlo, and
a mine of wealth for us."

"I quite agree, my dear Gregory. And it lies entirely with you whether we
stand in Yakowleff's place or not," exclaimed the woman who was the evil
genius of the Tsaritza.

The fact was that a rich financier, Ivan Yakowleff, who had offices in
Petrograd and in London, for certain personal services rendered to the
Tsar--the buying off of an unwelcome female entanglement, it is said--had
been granted a concession to establish public gaming-rooms at Otchakov,
on the Black Sea, not far from Odessa. The financier, who was elderly,
had recently married a young and rather pretty wife, and being a friend
of Count Vorontsof Dachkof, was in the happiest circumstances, well
knowing that a huge fortune awaited him.

"At the moment Yakowleff is in London, I hear, forming a syndicate to
take over the concession," the general remarked.

Rasputin smiled evilly, and after a pause said:

"Anybody who puts money into the venture will never see that money again.
I will take care of that."

"Good!" laughed His Excellency the Minister, flicking some dust from the
sleeve of his uniform. "We must have that concession for ourselves. But
ought not we to know what is in progress in London--eh? Shall we get
Protopopoff to send instructions to his agents in England?"

"No. Something might leak out. I do not trust the Okhrana in London,"
replied the wary woman, Vyrubova. "Have you forgotten the Meadows affair,
and how they betrayed me and very nearly caused a scandal by their
bungling? No, if we are to watch Yakowleff, let us do it ourselves. Why
should you not go, Feodor?" she s